Coconut Sugar Is the Fastest-Growing Natural Sweetener in the US

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Health appeal may be a big growth driver in the natural sweeteners market, but taste still triumphs. One of the greatest hurdles for any alternative sweetener to clear is replicating the taste and texture of table sugar that consumers have come to expect. But the fastest-growing natural sweetener on the U.S. market—coconut sugar—may be ideally suited to do just that.

Coconut sugar still holds only a fraction of the sweetener market when compared with stevia, the reigning natural sweetener champ. However, the U.S. market for coconut palm sweeteners has more than doubled in the last year, currently sitting at a little over $22 million, according to SPINS (Schaumburg, IL). By comparison, the market for stevia grew 12.3% in the last year to reach nearly $430 million, and the market for blends of stevia and other artificial sweeteners grew 1.5% to reach nearly $452 million. (Data as of March 22, 2015.)

So how did coconut palm sugar grow 100.4% in one year? A low glycemic index and environmental sustainability are part of the attraction, but the real kicker may be how well coconut sugar substitutes for traditional cane sugar. 

An Ideal Sugar Substitute

Sourced from the dried nectar of flower blossoms at the top of coconut palm trees, coconut sugar is being billed as a healthier alternative to table sugar, especially for people with diabetes or other health conditions related to blood sugar. Although coconut sugar’s glycemic index range of 35-40 is higher than stevia’s score of 0, it’s still considerably lower than table sugar’s index in the mid-to-high 60s.

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines also found that “unlike processed white sugar, coconut sugar may also contain trace amounts of iron, protein, and vitamin C,” says Dave Rosenberg, food category manager, NOW Foods (Bloomingdale, IL). Other coconut sugar purveyors also mention amino acids, potassium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and more as part of coconut sugar’s nutritional profile.

But coconut sugar’s big draw may have less to do with how it differs from cane sugar and more to do with the similarities—specifically, its taste and behavior in formulations.

“The top advantage over many other sweetener alternatives is that in recipes [coconut sugar] behaves just like the bleached cane sugar that people are seeking to replace,” says Mic LeBel, communications manager for coconut sugar retailer Navitas Naturals (Novato, CA). “You can enjoy coconut palm sugar as a 1:1 replacement for cane, and it melts, blends, and generally sweetens in a similar manner and intensity. Therefore, it’s easy for people to adapt to.”

Rosenberg describes coconut sugar as having a “mild caramel flavor and a light coconut aroma” that is similar to brown sugar. He adds that coconut sugar is more versatile than date sugar, maple sugar, and sugar alcohols, as well as liquid sweeteners such as honey and agave syrup.

“Its granular consistency, mild flavor, and light aroma make it easier to work with than many stronger-tasting and darker-colored natural sweeteners,” says Rosenberg.

Based on a strong flavor profile—especially its 1:1 replacement potential with cane sugar—coconut sugar’s formulating convenience may well be one factor driving the recent growth.

Sweetening Sustainably

Coconut sugar’s low environmental impact is another element in its favor. According to the website of coconut sugar supplier Big Tree Farms (Ashland, OR), “coconut sugar is considered one of the, if not the most, sustainable sweeteners in the world.”

Compared to sugar cane, coconut palm trees require less water, produce more per acre, and support multi-cropping of other coconut products, says Frederick Schilling, cofounder and co-CEO, Big Tree Farms. Coconut palms produce 50%–75% more sugar per acre than sugar cane on average, according to Big Tree Farms.

Slow Production Process

There are, however, a few obstacles to coconut sugar’s ongoing ascent. Environmentally conscious consumers may be happy to hear that coconut sugar is not produced through a mechanized process that pollutes the environment, but the lack of mechanization also slows down production.

“Collecting the flower blossom nectar from the crowns of the coconut trees is very labor intensive, as farmers must climb each tree at least twice a day to collect the fresh nectar,” says Schilling. “It is a process that cannot be mechanized. It is harvested the same way it has been for thousands of years.”

According to another coconut supplier, Tradin Organic (Amsterdam), its coconut nectar is sieved and boiled for four hours after being collected, with coconut oil added to achieve the right consistency and color. The sugar is then stirred until it becomes dry and granular, before moving on to final processing.

Perhaps as a result of that labor-intensive process, as well as the rapid growth in demand, the market’s supply of coconut sugar has been stretched a little thin. According to Christina Franken, marketing manager, Tradin Organic, the lack of availability of coconut sugar remains a challenge.

And, of course, what about the cost of formulating with coconut sugar compared to other sweeteners?

Franken says coconut sugar is priced a bit higher than alternatives like sugar cane and beet sugar, but in the same price range as many organic syrup sweeteners. For instance, coconut sugar is slightly more expensive than agave, but lower than maple, according to Franken.

Yet, despite the challenges, the booming market suggests there’s definitely an appetite for coconut sugar.

~Thanks to Michael Crane 

9 Things You Really Must Know About IUDs Before Getting One

Getting an IUD can feel a little like winning the lottery.

Money arrives one day and suddenly a major source of daily anxiety vanishes, giving you the freedom to go out and enjoy your life and stop freaking out about bills - er, babies.

Turns out, the interest and use of the convenient form of birth control is rising quickly among American women, for good reason.”It’s probably the most effective form of non-permanent birth control,” says Mireille Truong, MD, an OBGYN at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia in New York City.

In fact, modern IUDs are close to 100 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, with less than a one percent rate of failure, compared to nine percent (!) for oral contraceptives. And they’re a great option for busy women with iPhone pill alarms that never seem to go off when they’re listening, or for those who’d rather not introduce additional hormones (particularly estrogen) into their bodies.

Is any form of birth control perfect? “No, they all have their pros and cons, and everybody has to make the decision that’s right for them in the context of their lives,” says functional medicine physician and Parsley Health founder Robin Berzin, MD, who regularly recommends IUDs to her patients.

In case you’re in the process of making said decision, we asked the experts to walk us through some need-to-know facts, with plenty of my own I’ve-seriously-been-there thoughts on what having an IUD is really like.

Here are 9 things you need to know before getting an IUD:

1. It looks like an anchor and acts like a sperm shield. An IUD is generally shaped like the letter T or resembles a small anchor, and your doctor inserts it into your uterus during a quick procedure at the office. Tiny strings attached to the bottom hang down around your cervix, so you (or your doctor) can feel for them to make sure it’s still in place.  It works by inhibiting the movement of sperm, stopping them before they get to the eggs to make fertilization happen. If your cycle was a soccer game, the IUD would be a really skilled goalie.

2. It will hurt, but not for long. Getting it placed is generally uncomfortable and comes with serious cramping. It's generally not too terrible, but others have reported awful pain. “It varies from person to person based on pain tolerance. And for people who have not had children, it’s generally more uncomfortable,” explains Dr. Truong, who recommends taking an Aleve or Motrin before and after the procedure.

3. You’ll have to choose from a few different kinds. IUDs are generally divided into two camps, a copper model that uses no hormones (ParaGard), and those that are plastic and release a low dose of progestin (synthetic progesterone) locally, in the uterus. Mirena, Skyla, and Liletta are all versions of that model. One major difference is the length of time the IUDs last for—10 years for ParaGard, five for Mirena, and three for Skyla and Liletta. “You can take it out sooner,” explains Dr. Berzin, “that’s just how long it will be effective.” Some other things to consider between the options are…

4. You could never get your period (after an initial rough patch).The hormonal IUDs thin the lining of your uterus off the bat, so the first few weeks or months can be rough for some women, with heavy bleeding and cramping or at least irregular spotting. Some experience a heavy period and some pretty gnarly pain for a full month. But after that, you’ll most likely have years of barely any bleeding to look forward to. “Up to 20 percent of women will have no periods at all,” Dr. Truong explains. If you do get it, it will be likely be much lighter than it was before.

5. Or it could get worse. With the copper version, “sometimes people can get heavier bleeding, but their periods will still be regular,” she says, so you may want to skip this one if that’s already an issue for you.

6. You don’t need to freak out about infections. For a long time doctors told women that IUDs increased the risk of infections in a big way, specifically Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). While Dr. Truong and Dr. Berzin both say that the risk may potentially be raised ever so slightly for a very small window of time after the insertion procedure, a recent review of the scientific research on the subject found that overall, “the best evidence suggests that the risk of PID among IUD users is very low.”

7. And the other potential complications are very rare (but still scary sounding).“Most of the complications that happen are at the time, or surrounding the time, of placement,” Dr. Truong says. It could poke a hole in your uterus, for example, which sounds horrifying but normally heals on its own. And bigger, scarier-sounding complications like the IUD migrating to somewhere else in your body (check those strings!) or ectopic pregnancy are extremely rare, too.

8. You’ll still be able to get pregnant later on. Should you decide it’s time to start making babies, you can have an IUD removed at any time, and most women are able to get pregnant right away, especially with the copper, non-hormonal one. “[For] some people it can take up to six months on the hormonal [IUDs],” Dr. Truong says. “It depends on your body; it’s going to change the way your hormones regulate and react.”

9. IUDs are the most popular form of birth control among doctors.“It’s actually the option that most female doctors I know use,” says Dr. Berzin. “Everyone in medicine has an IUD.” Surveys have also supported her observation, and that’s not a bad endorsement, right? 

~ Thanks to Lisa Elaine Held

Gender Differences in Eating and Exercising

In America, we are constantly being bombarded with messages about how to eat correctly, how to manage our weight, and how to exercise most efficiently. All of these messages can be both overwhelming and confusing, especially when a large portion of this information is coming from non-reputable sources. As many people know, both eating well and exercising regularly are crucial factors for maintaining proper health. However, there are distinct differences between the sexes when it comes to both of these factors, so it is important to understand the status of your unique health in order to eat well and exercise effectively. 

Eating

Sex differences in food selection and intake appear during the time of puberty in both boys and girls. Due to a higher average body weight and higher resting metabolic rate, men typically require a higher daily caloric intake than women do. The recommended intake for men is 2,900 kcal/day, while women should be around 2,220 kcal/day. However, despite the fact that women's daily caloric intake is lower than men's, women have around two times as much body fat as men. The exact reasons for this phenomenon are still being explored, but studies indicate that differences in hormones, such as levels of estrogen, play a contributing role in fat storage and fat metabolism. It is also thought that it is possible that women naturally have a higher percentage of body fat for childbearing purposes.

During and after puberty, women experience hormonal changes, which have been shown to influence food intake and selection. In a study on food intake across the menstrual cycle in women, researchers found that food intake is lowest around the time of ovulation, when estrogen is highest, and intake is highest at the luteal phase, when estrogen is lowest. Less is know about how sex hormones affect food intake in men, but studies are being done to explore the effect of gonadal hormones on food preferences in men.

Just as there are clear differences in the intake of food between men and women, various studies have shown that there are also differences in food selection between the sexes. In an extensive survey done in 2007 by the Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network, over 14,000 Americans participated in a survey outlining their eating habits. This survey showed, in line with various other studies done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the previous years, that men are more likely to consume meat and poultry, while women are more likely to consume vegetables, fruits, dry foods, and yogurt.

Are these differences genetic? Are they due to socialization factors? While studies have proven that there are differences in both intake and food selection for the sexes, there is debate over the exact causes of these differences. For instance, David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, thinks that the gendered diet is explained by evolution. In prehistoric times, cavemen were hunters that relied on protein to build muscle, while cavewomen gathered fruit and vegetables and may have heavily relied on the intake of those foods. Katz believes that this access to different types of food led to the gendered differences in eating patterns today. In contrast, nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston believes that these differences are due to socialization. From a young age, boys are encouraged to have big appetites and to eat more than girls are. She also believes that media pressure influences women to feel a responsibility to both eat healthy food and eat less food overall.

Regardless of the causes of these differences, it is important for both men and women to maintain healthy eating habits. Here are some tips:

• Incorporate fruits, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, and whole-grain foods into your diet
• Drink water instead of high-sugar drinks (including sodas and juices)
• Pack healthy lunches and snacks for school or work; this gives you more control over what you eat
• Do not skip or delay meals! If you ignore feelings of hunger, you will most likely eat too much or choose unhealthy foods

Exercising

The distinct hormone levels in men (testosterone) and women (estrogen) lead to sex differences in exercise. Estrogen, a hormone that exists at high levels in females, stimulates the release of epinephrine, which is a hormone that increases fat breakdown and mobilizes fat stores into sources of energy during exercise. This helps women have high levels of endurance during workouts. Estrogen also causes a release of a growth hormone, which also enhances the use of fat storage as fuel and preserves glycogen, which helps the body sustain exercise longer. The estrogen advantage, as it is often referred to as, is beneficial to women as it increases the utilization of fat as fuel in different ways during exercise. For men, testosterone enhances muscle hypertrophy, leading to advantages in strength, power, and speed.

While exercise is important for both of the sexes to maintain good health, it is especially important for women. Beginning in their late 20's, women's body weight climbs each year and the average weight gain is between one and two pounds per year. Therefore, women need one hour of moderate exercise per day to prevent weight gain. Exercise has also been shown to lower women's risks of certain diseases and conditions, such as endometrial cancer and colon cancer.

Some important tips to keep yourself safe during exercise:

• Stretch your muscles before and after exercising to prevent injury
• Warm up with light aerobic activity to get your heart rate up
• Hydrate before, during, and after exercise!  

Understanding how men's and women's bodies react to food and exercise differently is essential in deciphering how to tailor your healthy routines to fit your body's needs. Regardless of your sex, it is important to maintain healthy habits including regular exercise and nutritious eating habits!

~Thanks to Charlotte Cleveland of the Women's Health Research Institute

How to Make Fruits & Veggies Last

Cut off the tops and leaves of beets to retain firmness, and store for one to two weeks in an open container in the refrigerator topped with a wet towel.

I opened my refrigerator the other night to complete disappointment. It wasn’t that I hadn’t made it to the market; in fact the refrigerator was full of food. Just a few days before, I had placed mountains of fresh vegetables and fruits in the fridge, only to return to wilted leafy greens, moldy berries, limp carrots and squishy eggplant. I felt as rotten as those vegetables when I stuffed so many untouched foods into the compost pile. 

I do not have the time to make multiple trips to the market each week to restock the summer produce. So I did a little digging to find out how I could keep my produce fresh, crisp and ready to feed my crew for a week after purchasing. What did I find? I found that storage is everything. 

Starter tips

• Buy fresh and local. It’s likely that a freshly picked fruit or vegetable will last longer than an item that has been riding on a truck or camped out in a warehouse for weeks.

• Give your produce space to breathe and you will give it a longer shelf life. In other words, try not to overcrowd your crisper drawers or your fruit bowl. One layer deep is a good rule of thumb.

• Do not store fruits and vegetables together; fruits emit a ripening agent that can ripen and spoil neighboring vegetables. (Placing a ripe banana next to almost anything is a surefire way to ripen the item in the adjacent seat. It’s the same story with any fruit that has started to brown, mold or sour; keep them away from the fresher pieces.) 

• Never seal fruits or vegetables in an airtight bag or you will hasten the decay. 

• Eat your most perishable items first, so perhaps plan for artichokes and asparagus to be eaten before cucumbers or cauliflower 

Produce storage guide

Vegetables

• Asparagus: Store upright in a glass with water covering the bottom inch of the stems at room temperature for a week.

• Beets: Cut off the tops and leaves to retain firmness, and store for one to two weeks in an open container in the refrigerator topped with a wet towel.

• Brussels sprouts: Store in an open bowl or container in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.

• Cabbage: Store uncut in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

• Carrots: Cut off the tops and leaves to retain firmness, and store for one to two weeks in an open container in the refrigerator topped with a wet towel.

• Cauliflower: Store uncut in the refrigerator for a week.

• Celery: Store uncut in the refrigerator for two weeks.

• Corn: Truly best eaten the day it is picked. Otherwise, store in the refrigerator in its husk for a few days.

• Cucumbers: Store at room temperature, not near bananas, melons or tomatoes. 

• Eggplant: Find a cool, dry, dark place other than the refrigerator.

• Garlic: Find a cool, dry, dark place other than the refrigerator.

• Green beans: Store in a produce bag or wrapped in a paper towel in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

• Herbs: Pretend they are a bouquet of flowers and stick the stems in a glass of water and store in the fridge. Wash and use stems and leaves as needed. 

• Leafy greens: De-stem, then place leaves in a bowl with water and rinse until clean. Dry leaves and wrap in a dish towel, then store in the crisper for a week or more. 

• Mushrooms: Store in a paper bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for a week. Wash just before using. 

• Onions: Find a cool, dry, dark place other than the refrigerator.

• Potatoes: Find a cool, dry, dark place other than the refrigerator.

• Radishes, turnips and parsnips: Cut off the tops and leaves to retain firmness, and store for a few weeks in an open container in the refrigerator with a wet towel on top.

• Sprouts: Wrap in a paper towel or produce bag and store in refrigerator for three days.

• Summer squash: Store in the refrigerator for five days.

• Winter squash: Choose a cool, dry, dark place other than the refrigerator.

• Tomatoes: Do not refrigerate, as they are cold-sensitive. Store them on the counter away from other fruits.

Fruits

• Apples: Store in crisper drawer of refrigerator, or a cool, dark place outside of the refrigerator.

• Avocados: Ripen in a brown paper bag at room temperature, move to the refrigerator when ripe.

• Bananas: Do not refrigerate; keep separate from other fruits and vegetables.

• Berries: Store unwashed in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, ideally in one layer in a paper bag. 

• Cherries: Store in the refrigerator unwashed for three to five days. Wash before serving.

• Citrus: Store at room temperature because citrus fruits can absorb flavors from other foods in the refrigerator.

• Grapes: Store in a paper bag in the fridge.

• Kiwi: Keep at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for a week.

• Melon: Leave uncut at room temperature, out of the sun.

• Mango: Store at room temperature until ripe, then move to the refrigerator.

• Papaya: Store at room temperature until ripe, then move to the refrigerator.

• Pears: Keep at room temperature. Neighboring apples will hasten a pear’s ripening.

• Stone fruit (apricots, nectarines): Store at room temperature stem-end down to ripen, or in the refrigerator when already ripe.

If you find yourself with a handful of wilted vegetables despite your best efforts to wrap and store them appropriately, make a soup. Saute wilted onion, carrots and celery, then add stock, beans, wilted dark leafy greens and a whole grain such as rice or barley. You’ll save the vegetables from the garbage and feed your family all at once.

Try composting any remaining vegetable scraps and inedible stems and leaves. If you do not have a the space at home for a compost pile or bin, try Compost Cab (www.compostcab.com) or the Compost Crew, (www.compostcrew.com), companies that will haul away your food waste, keep it out of landfills, and turn it into rich soil that nurtures the planet. 

In my research, I found a National Resources Defense Council statistic stating that “if we wasted just 15 percent less food, it would be enough to feed 25 million Americans.” If my own overflowing trash bin wasn’t enough reason for me to pay more attention when I unloaded the groceries, this certainly is.

~Thanks to Casey Seidenberg

Belly Fat & How to Get Rid of It

Belly fat impacts more than just how you look in a swimsuit. Today, about 69% of American adults are overweight — leading to an increased risk for numerous chronic illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.

Many hormones contribute to belly fat, but the most powerful is insulin: Elevated insulin levels signal your body to store belly fat. Eventually your cells become insulin resistant, and your body starts to hold on to that spare tire for dear life. 

So in order to trim belly fat, you need to produce less insulin. And the number one way to do that? Reduce your sugar intake. Sugar — especially in processed, junky foods — hijacks your brain chemistry and metabolism to create insulin resistance and all its repercussions. Plus, unlike other calories, sugar scrambles your normal appetite controls. It's one reason why you can’t stop reaching for your favorite comfort food.

Unfortunately, Americans are overdosing on sugar, consuming an average of 22 to 30 teaspoons each day — and the repercussions are showing up as lethal belly fat. The good news is you have the power to reverse belly fat and diabesity. I’ve seen thousands of patients do just that.  By dramatically reducing sugar intake and applying these five strategies, you can normalize insulin, eliminate stubborn belly fat and promote optimal health:

1. Eat real food.

Nutrient-rich foods—the kind nature produces, not a big factory—keep you satisfied. And as a result, you’ll eat less. Aim for lots of green vegetables, and include protein in every meal since it keeps us fuller longer.

Getting adequate vitamins and minerals will also help your body burn calories more efficiently, regulate appetite, lower inflammation, boost detoxification, aid digestion, regulate stress hormones, and make your cells more insulin sensitive. 

2. Manage stress.

Chronic stress causes your brain to shrink—and your belly to grow. In fact, chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can lead to increased blood sugar, cholesterol, depression and dementia. And high cortisol levels also contribute to the stubborn belly fat in people with insulin resistance or Type 2 diabetes who crave sugar and carbs.

Stress impacts you more than you might realize, but a few powerful strategies can help you reduce it.

3. Cut out food sensitivities. 

You often crave the very foods you’re allergic to. And while eliminating them isn’t easy, after a few days without them, many patients discover renewed energy, reduced cravings and symptoms, and shrinking belly fat. Gluten and dairy are two of the big ones, but many other sensitivities can also make losing belly fat a real challenge. Read more about how food sensitivities can make you fat—and how to successfully eliminate them.

4. Get eight hours of deep sleep. 

Lack of sleep actually drives sugar and carb cravings by affecting your appetite hormones. In other words, when you haven't had sufficient sleep, those cookies your coworker brought in become impossible to ignore. One study found that even a partial night of poor sleep could contribute to insulin resistance. Poor sleep can also adversely impact fat-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin. 

Getting a good sleep requires preparation. So if you'd like to catch more zzzs, try meditation, a relaxation CD or a hot bath with magnesium-rich Epsom salts before bed.

5. Work out regularly.

Combined with a nutritious diet, exercise can become powerful medication to prevent diabesity and trim your belly. After all, studies have shown that interval training and weight resistance can improve fat loss. 

If you’re a beginner, start with simply walking at least 30 minutes every day. And if you’d like to take that up a few notches, consider 30 to 60 minutes of more vigorous aerobic exercise four to six times a week.

~Thanks to Dr. Mark Hyman

The Billion-Dollar Business to Sell Us Crappy Food

New report sheds light on the covert tactics used to shape public opinion about what we eat

At the turn of the last century, the father of public relations, Edward Bernays, launched the Celiac Project, whose medical professionals recommended bananas to benefit celiac disease sufferers. Those pitched on the sweet fruit’s miraculous properties didn’t know the project was actually created for the United Fruit Co., the largest trader of bananas in the world.

The creation of front groups — independent-sounding but industry-backed organizations — as a public relations strategy dates at least as far back as Bernays’ day. But a new report by Kari Hamerschlag, a senior program manager at the environmental nonprofit Friends of the Earth; Stacy Malkan, a co-founder of the food industry watchdog U.S. Right to Know; and me shows that such tactics are continuing with ever more scope and scale today.

The report, released today, exposes the growth of food-industry-sponsored front groups and other covert communication tactics in the past few years. While food industry spin is not new, we’re seeing an unprecedented level of spending and deployment of an ever wider array of PR tactics. We argue this rise of industrial food spin is a direct response to mounting public concerns about industrial agriculture as well as a growing interest in sustainable food and groundswell for organic products.

Increasingly, the American public is raising questions about toxic chemicals used in farming, routine antibiotics used in livestock production and genetic engineering in agriculture. The booming organic food business is one sign: Sales of organic food and products in the United States are projected to jump from $35 billion in 2013 to $170 billion in 2025 — a direct threat to the profits of the processed food, animal agriculture and chemical industries engaging in such spin. According to a recent Fortune article, since 2009 the 25 biggest food and beverage companies — selling nonorganic processed and junk food — lost an equivalent of $18 billion in market share. “I would think of them like melting icebergs,” the article quotes Credit Suisse analyst Robert Moskow as saying. “Every year they become a little less relevant.”

In the face of this threat, we argue that the industrial food sector — from the biotech behemoths to the animal agriculture industry — is working overtime to defuse these concerns with well-funded communication efforts and a rash of new front groups. From 2009 to 2013, just 14 of these front groups spent $126 million to shape the story of food while presenting the veneer of independence. There’s the Alliance to Feed the Future, which produces Common Core–vetted curricula on healthy food for public schools. Its members include the Frozen Pizza Institute and the Calorie Control Council, which promotes the benefits of Olestra and saccharin, among other artificial sweeteners and fats. You don’t need to be an expert in food security to be skeptical to take advice about feeding the world from the trade council for fake sugar and fat. 

Because the food industry employs under-the-radar PR strategies, often people don’t realize the stories are being crafted behind the scenes. 

We detail groups such as the U.S. Farmers and Rancher’s Alliance (USFRA) — whose goal, it says, is “to enhance U.S. consumer trust in modern food production to ensure the abundance of affordable, safe food” and whose lead partners include animal pharmaceutical company Elanco, biotech giant Monsanto and chemical companies DuPont, Dow and Syngenta. Among the USFRA’s communication priorities since its launch in 2011 has been to combat growing public concern about the routine use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. Its Antibiotics Working Group has developed educational materials, hosted public conversations and trained media representatives to downplay the risks of antibiotics. But the group’s messages contradict well-documented evidence of the widespread misuse of routine antibiotics. Today 70 percent of medically important antibiotics sold in the United States are used not in humans, according to the Food and Drug Administration, but in livestock animal production to promote growth or prevent disease, leading to the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But it’s not just front groups. We describe a plethora of other communication tactics, many of them so under-the-radar that often people don’t realize the stories are being crafted behind the scenes. We describe how the industrial food sector targets female audiences and co-opts female bloggers, how industry groups pay for advertisements to look like editorial content and how the industry infiltrates social media. In one example, the Biotechnology Industry Organization hired PR firm Ketchum to develop GMOAnswers.com, populated with industry-approved answers about genetically modified organisms. The firm even won a prestigious advertising award for this campaign, particularly for its success in tracking negative tweets about GMOs and engaging users directly, urging them to visit the website.

The trade groups for the industrial food sector also reach into their deep pockets to shape how the media report on our food system. In our analysis, we found that just four major trade associations for the chemical, biotech and animal agriculture sectors had expenses totaling half a billion dollars from 2009 to 2013, including communications and marketing campaigns.

These are just some of the tactics we describe. While it is far from a comprehensive documentation of every front group or tactic, we hope the report inspires everyday Americans, public officials and journalists to be critical consumers of the stories we hear about food and farming. Particularly at a time when mainstream media outlets are hemorrhaging, cutting back on the resources available for the investigative pieces essential to accurate reporting on and exposing industry malfeasance, it’s increasingly important that we know where our food information comes from and who is behind it. There’s new indication of the importance of this every day. Consider how the food industry is already busy pushing back in the media against the sound recommendations from the scientific advisory committee for the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, set to be finalized later this year.

We must ensure these PR strategies don’t leave us in the dark about the real story of our food. Because as we debate one of the biggest questions of our time — how to feed ourselves safely and sustainably — it’s essential we base critical policy decisions and consumer choices on substance, not spin. 

~Thanks to Anne Lappe: Anna Lappé is the author of “Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It” and a co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and Real Food Media Project. 

How to Get Rid of Flies in Your House

Discover easy ways to keep the flies away without having to cover yourself in bug spray. These natural repellents are easy and inexpensive. In fact, I had most of the ingredients in my cabinets! And more than one of these tricks cost less than $1.

Summer will never be the same now - it will be even better! Without those annoying flies around, you’ll be able to sit back, relax, and truly enjoy the favorite season of the year.

Please SHARE these easy and inexpensive do-it-yourself bug repellents to help make everyone’s summer a little better.

Pennies and Water in a Ziplock Bag

This is by far one of the easiest and least expensive fly deterrents — it should really only cost about 4 cents. Simply fill a resealable Ziplock bag with water and drop in 4 or 5 pennies. This may sound odd, but flies are scared off by what they perceive to be a large body of water and become confused by the reflection of the sunlight hitting the water and the pennies. Hang the bag on your porch or from a nearby tree to keep the pesky flies away.

Citronella and Coconut Oil

Keep the flies away with oil! Drop 20–30 drops of citronella oil into a bowl of 1 1/2 cups of coconut oil. Mix thoroughly and use the mixture to fill little jars or tins. Place the tins around the trouble spots to enjoy a fly-free evening.

Cotton Balls, Vanilla Extract, and Mint

This repellent might have a couple of steps, but it works. Put two cotton balls in the bottom of a shallow jar. Cover the cotton balls with about four tablespoons of vanilla extract. Top the jar with fresh mint, and cover the whole thing with a piece of cheesecloth. This method is so successful, you could place the jars next to a bowl of fresh, ripe fruit and the flies will still steer clear.

Vodka and Clove in a Spray Bottle

Sure, you can purchase expensive bug sprays, but who wants the smell of chemicals around your house? Here, just fill a small spray bottle with some vodka and a little bit of lavender or clove. Spray the mixture around the trouble areas to keep your outdoor evenings free of pests.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Another easy and extremely inexpensive method is to use apple cider vinegar to trap the flies. Place apple cider vinegar in a shallow jar or glass. Cover the jar with plastic wrap and punch holes in the top of it. Place these jars on the outskirts of where you’ll be spending your time. This apple cider vinegar will act as an invisible barrier from unwanted gnats.

Garlic, Cinnamon, and Cayenne Pepper Powder

Another perfect barrier to protect your home is this mixture of garlic powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper powder. Simply sprinkle the powder around the foundation of your home to create an invisible force shield that will keep those pesky flies far away.

Essential Oils

This spray bottle method works the same as the vodka method, but doesn’t require having alcohol around the house. Fill the bottle with half water and half vinegar, and splash in 15 drops of essential oils like mint, lemon, lavender, citronella, or eucalyptus. Spray the house or the porch liberally so you can kick your feet up bug-free.

An Old, Scratched CD

Perhaps the least expensive (except perhaps for the penny method), this unique trick scares flies away. Simply hang an unwanted CD from your porch or a nearby tree. While you might think this sounds crazy, it’s been known to scare the flies off due to the reflective nature of the CD.

~Thanks to Samantha Hemmingway